What is a fatty liver?
Fat liver = increased storage of fats in the liver cells
Steatohepatitis = non -infectious inflammatory disease of the fatty liver
A distinction is made between alcohol-caused fatty liver (AfLD) and in the non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD).
There is increased fat storage in the liver cells and in the event of non-treatment to fibrosis and finally to cirrhosis of the liver, which can ultimately also lead to liver cancer.
The late consequences also include hepatic encephalopathy = liver -related brain dysfunction.
Every 4th years of age is affected, but even children and adolescents can develop fatty liver!
The liver values are often still in the normal range, but symptoms such as tiredness, lack of energy, stubborn belly fat despite healthy calorie -reduced nutrition and regular sport can indicate a liver disorder/ fatty liver.
Often the fatty liver occurs in connection with the metabolic syndrome (overweight, hypertension, sugar and fat metabolism disorders)
This is how an NAFLD develops:
Disturbed memory function - fat storage in the liver tissue - inclination tendency - insulin resistance - fat metabolism disorder - disorder of glucose metabolism - silent inflammation - oxidative stress
Causes of the NAFLD
• unhealthy diet, fast food, too many carbohydrates (sugar, bread, pasta, sugar -rich fruit and drinks, etc.), too much unhealthy fat
• Insulin resistance, diabetes
• alcohol
• Lack of movement
• strong overweight
• Toxins: heavy metals, glyphosate and other poisons
• Medicines such as rheumatism + antibiotics that are taken permanently can cause a liver disorder
• Hepatitis and other viruses, parasites
Therapy of the NAFLD: depending on the trigger
• co -responsible medication must be replaced or discontinued
• Change of nutrition
• Regular exercise or sport
• Weight reduction
In the case of alcoholic fatty liver, the abandoned of alcohol, of course, primarily helps, with the above -mentioned recommendations for regeneration also advisable.
Diagnostics:
• Ultrasonic examination
• Liver check with the following laboratory values: AP, bilirubin, blood sugar, cholinesterase, protein electrophoresis, GGT, GLDH, got, GPT, HBA1C, LAP
• Fat liver due to alcohol: GGT, GPT, uric acid, IGA, tri, mg, Po4, small blood count
• Fat liver non-alcohol-related: blood sugar, HBA1C, proinsulin intact, tri, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, fetuin A
• Autoantibodies
• Virus diagnostics
• Hemochromatosis: Ferritin, Transferin, iron, small blood count
• Wilson's disease: Coeruloplasmin, copper, Kl. Blood count
• Liver fibrosis index (FIB-4 value)
Alcohol -related fatty liver: got (= branch) usually higher than GPT (= old)
NAFL: GPT usually higher than got
The good news:
In many cases of liver disease, especially in the early stages, even with a fatty liver, there are very good chances of complete healing, because the liver cells are very regenerative.
Due to a changed lifestyle and corresponding therapies, the fatty liver can completely recover!